Looking for techincal feedback. I have a 2002 GT. Check engine light came on 3 weeks ago. Three different repair shops (including the Ford Dealer) have run a diagnostic..each one shows the only thing bad is the "cam sensor." Each mechanic has replaced the senor with Ford factory cam sensor, but the light still comes back on within an hour. The mechanics can not figure it out. Anyone had this issue?? The car has a soft backfire (one pop...then car dies) about 50% of the time when it is first started. Once car starts, it runs smooth at idle and all the way to 6000 RPMs.

I put a new battery in the car because I was told a weak battery could cause a small backfire and check engine light to come on. This was not my problem. Any feedback is appreciated.

 

Invisible Electrical Gremlins!!! If the sensors have been replaced that many times it must not be them.The wires going into them would be my next guess and unfortunately I do mean guess.Broken conductors inside the wire's insulation has caused me grief in the past.To check this,start the car and go from wire to wire and pull.Bend and twist the harness and each wire that you can get to.If you can get the car to shut down at least you know your'e getting closer.BTW the sensors that were removed were clean with no metal shavings covering the tips?Small metal particles will disrupt the magnetic field and cause wierd signals to go to the PCM.This takes us to the next theory,the PCM itself.

 

I had a 1997 F-150 with a 4.2L V6 that had the same problem, the piece that rotates inside of the CSPS was bent, which i think is the oil pump drive also on that engine "i think", but it dug out the insides of the CSPS.... So i had to replace the entire drive but i dont know i havn't looked at my mustang's CSPS to see if it runs the same way as my truck did